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A child comes in for repair of a cleft palate. The left side of the mouth already has been repaired, and this procedure is scheduled for the right side. The consent form is correct and is signed. The team performs a timeout, and everyone agrees they will work on the right side. The surgeon cuts into the left side, according to a media report.
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Medicare's new Conditions for Coverage for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), which took effect May 18, include a requirement that ASCs must adhere to professional acceptable standards of practice for infection control. One key to avoiding liability in that area is proper instrument disinfection and sterilization.
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Complying with all of the vast details of the Life Safety Code is one of the more challenging aspects of outpatient surgery management.
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Although the National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) have been out for several years, outpatient surgery programs, as well as other health care providers, still struggle to comply.
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There are many detailed requirements of Life Safety Code (LSC) compliance, and many outpatient surgery managers are not aware of them.
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(Editor's note: In this second part of a two-part series on infection control issues in ambulatory surgery, we give you information about how infection rates are dramatically low at two facilities. In last month's issue, we told you about a model program in North Carolina, as well as recent incidents at a hospital and surgery center.)
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The air is clearing in the nation's operating rooms, as The Joint Commission (TJC) places a greater emphasis on evacuating smoke from electrocautery procedures.
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In next month's issue of Same-Day Surgery, we'll share the best ideas for avoiding liability in the outpatient surgery program.
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Outpatient surgery managers are ordering more surgical masks, asking staff and patients about recent travel to areas with swine flu outbreaks, and reinforcing hand hygiene in preparation for a potential swine flu pandemic.
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The most frequent request we get at our office is to troubleshoot facilities. This request comes from freestanding surgery centers, hospital ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), hospital operating rooms, and everything in between.
